This blog is dedicated to the memory of our granddaughter, Evelyn Celeste Miller. Evey went missing July 1st and her body was recovered July 6th from the Cedar River near Floyd, Iowa. This venue will help celebrate the wonder that she was and also post up-to-date information on the wait for justice.
If you have any information about the crime please contact the Floyd County Sheriff's Office at 1-641-228-1821 or e-mail me directly.

Thursday, November 24, 2005

Remembering Evey on Thanksgiving

This is our first Thanksgiving without Evelyn. She always enjoyed Thanksgiving and being with her relatives. We miss her dearly.

The following are excerpts from her memorial service. We would also like to thank all of you who have shared our pain. Your words of comfort, caring and concern have been a blessing to us which makes this a special Thanksgiving. Your prayers have helped confirm our belief that Evey is in God's arms. Thank all so very much again.

Thanksgiving is not just to give thanks for that which you have but also for that which you've had. We praise and thank God for having had Evey as our granddaughter on this earth and look forward to having her as our granddaughter in the next.

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God in his infinite wisdom sent to this earth – our Evey.

Evey, We were not cheated by your life being so short; rather we were blessed by it being so important. We’ll miss you important one.

A Prayer

Friday July 8th we had a beautiful candlelight memorial service outside at Windsor Presbyterian Church. When we started to pray about how God was in sorrow too, several raindrops fell. When the prayer was over, the raindrops had stopped.

Truly there is a God, he loves Evey and he loves all of us and is holding her in his arms as he grieves with us.

This is our prayer from that Friday’s Service.

Our Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the short life of Evelyn Celeste Miller. We enjoyed every minute with her and she will be profoundly missed by her entire family.

It is through your will that you sent Evey to be with us. Through your will she has left us.

Will is not a cause. Will is not fault.

If a tree is planted and it is not watered, it will fail and die – that is an example of your will.

In your wisdom you willed that the tree must have water, light and nutrition to have life. When man uses his means to destroy what you willed and created, like taking the tree for shelter or fuel to heat our homes, you know and you understand our need to remove that life.

Conversely, when we knowingly take life; when we do so for our own pleasure, sport or sinful nature we are operating contrary to your teachings. You, God are indeed saddened by our evil ways and we will be condemned forever. I believe that on this day, you, my God and Jesus Christ – my salvation, are in more sorrow over Evey’s death than we are.

In your sadness, you have accepted her back to be with you. We know that you and Jesus will enjoy her blessed spirit eternally.

Just as the un-watered tree will fail, we have failed Evelyn. We have failed millions of other children in the world. We have failed to provide the protection, the care and comfort that she needed to be safe and to grow into a beautiful and kind woman. Through our collective negligence, this tragedy happened and we are all indeed sorrowful and in need of your divine forgiveness.

Today, I pray for your loving forgiveness for whatever errors we have made to shorten Evelyn’s life. I also pray for your hope, help and eternal life for Evey. I pray that you, our Lord God will help us to see evil for what it is and help us to destroy it to make the world a better place for children.

I pray for all people, children, and parents to hold, protect and love each other. I pray that we can see farther than our own doorsteps – not to blame, but to help families in need of help to assure that their children have the ability to flourish into what you, God, willed them to become. We need to become bolder in providing your spiritual love and nourishment to all of your children - our children, so that they may grow straight in faith, judgment and morality.

I pray for the change in twisted evil souls to become changed – to become whole – to come away from their wickedness and seek your redemption and forgiveness. I pray that society can understand the need to permanently isolate those convicted of crimes like the one that took Evey. This is a price that we must willingly pay to help protect innocent children.

God, in whatever we do, give us your grace, your guidance and the power of the Holy Spirit to seek your truth in our every action.

To those who are grieving Evey’s loss, send the comfort and peace of the Holy Spirit to make them whole again and healed by your eternal love.